1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to games, and more particularly, to a game which places demands upon the logical skills of a player (strategy-oriented games) and the intuitive skill of a player (fantasy-oriented games) with an element of chance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, amusement games have developed in two essentially opposite directions. There are strategy-oriented games which direct themselves almost exclusively to one train of thought, logic. In the opposite direction, there are fantasy-oriented games, which direct themselves almost exclusively to the use of the imagination, and the intuitive powers. In between these two basic types of games are variations which introduce an element of chance to these basic types of games.
Representative of strategy-oriented games are chess, checkers, and modern-day computer games. Variations include three-dimensional chess, or a modified chess game in which four can play, such as that described in the Weiss U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,237. The resulting games are just more complicated, and add complexity but still appeal to a strategy-oriented type of player.
There have been attempts in the past to elevate strategy-oriented games, such as chess, by adding an element of chance. For example, the Welter U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,287 discloses a chess game to which cards have been added to introduce an element of chance. The playing cards have chess indicia thereon, representing various chess pieces, and are playable on the game board spaces which are open for play. This patent does not, however, introduce the fantasy element which would require one to use one's intuitive powers. Similarly, the Bialek U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,326 adds dice to a chess game to introduce an element of chance. The dice have different symbols of chess pieces on each face. The player throws the dice and is able to move his chess piece on the board in accordance with which face of the dice turns up. Again, no fantasy element is introduced whereby a player must use intuitive powers.
Attempts have been made in the past to raise a strategy-oriented game, such as chess, to a fantasy level. An example is the Suvada U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,073 which discloses a chess game in which the game pieces have different colors by which a player can imagine the former king, former rook, etc. by distinguishing color. While this game does introduce a small element of fantasy requiring the use of one's imagination, it does not require a substantial use of these intuitive powers, nor does it introduce any element of chance.
There are various ways of introducing the element of chance to a game. For example, in the Lucke U.S. Pat. No. 855,192 four decks of cards are utilized to introduce chance to the game. For example, a wealth deck utilizes money bags on the card representing the value of the contents of the cards in the suit. Similarly, in the Buhler-Rossbach U.S. Pat. No. 1,705,141, symbols are utilized on the game board to represent which cards can be drawn from a deck of cards by a player. For example, a sword on a card represents a weapon card. While these patents do represent games based mainly on change, they do not utilize the elements of chance to raise the level of a fantasy-oriented game to the same sophisticated level as a strategy-oriented game.
Finally, the element of change has been introduced into a strategy-oriented game in order to change the area on the game board in which the strategy is employed. This is represented by the Magiera U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,677. In this game, dice are employed to introduce chance into the game by moving an attacking knight exactly to a square based upon the count of one or both of the dice roll numbers. The game utilizes knights to attack, and pawns to defend with the possibility of capturing an opponent's knight, the object of the game being the accumulation of the largest number of chips. While this game introduces a large amount of chance, it is still basically a strategy-oriented game, and does not require a substantial use of one's intuitive powers. The game does not utilize a deck of penalty/reward cards from which a player would draw depending upon the throw of the dice.
There is a need for an amusement game which draws upon both the logic powers and the intuitive powers of the players. Current strategy-oriented games direct themselves almost exclusively to one train of thought, logic. There is a need to maintain the same level of play and challenge but still to incorporate the element of chance and fantasy.
Strategy-oriented games appeal to only one type of player making these games, such as chess, exclusive. There is a need for a game that appeals to more than one type of player, to provide a battleground where two unrelated types of players can have an equal chance to win by employing strategy, luck, intuitive, impulsive, and emotional elements of games.